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Gigging Northern Ireland has a nice little chat with one of the Proclaimers' in Craig Reid. Talking about all things good, packing out festival tents and what he would do if he was prime-minister, bad, drinking a few too many, and the weird, appearing in the US hit comedy show, Family Guy, we get an insight into the life of the Proclaimers!

Have you toured in Northern Ireland before?

Yeah, we've played Northern Ireland a few times before. The last time was in the Waterfront nearly two years ago and that was fantastic. We actually played the Mandela Hall about twenty years ago! The audience is always fantastic.

Was there any particular reason why you decided to write and record this album so soon (within eight weeks) after your lengthy tour? Was it a question of just being in the right "place" so to speak?

For the last few years since 2001 we've put an album out every two years and we've been touring somewhere every year. We took a few weeks off and we just started writing, and the songs just came together. We've just got into a rhythm of things! We're just as motivated these days. We just want to keep producing, keep touring, keep involved in music. We've done more in the past few years than we've done in the early years: more touring, more albums, more writing.

You've spoken of your admiration for other artists recently (Glasvegas and Duffy amongst others). Do you have the same influences now as you did when you started out?

Yeah, you've got to keep abreast of other things. Just playing festivals and all, you see other acts but it does sort of wash over you. You see acts you haven't heard of and you see acts you have, and generally they're fantastic. In terms of influences, I guess they're the same. In my eyes, the influences you have as a young man are easily the most important.

And is there one particular album you're listening to now that you like?

Not really actually, it's just a mixture: some old stuff and some new stuff. I listen to the radio a lot! Honestly though, once you're out and in the music industry, you listen to your own stuff mostly: you concentrate on your new material, especially when you're out on the road touring. When we have a bit of a break, you relax and you might listen to something else. You switch into automatic mode.

There's a more spiritual element, I feel, to your more recent albums, with some overt references and some more hidden references. Is that a recent personal development, are you more comfortable with writing about it now or is it just a subconscious thing?

It ebbs and flows within our music, I think that element's always been there. It's just like the political stuff: sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. It's just a matter of the mood you're in when you're writing the songs.

Are there any other musical avenues you'd like to go down that you haven't already?

I'm not sure... when there were long periods of time when we weren't releasing albums we had a few thoughts because we weren't happy with the material we were producing, but in the past nine years or so everything's just flowed better. We've just been enjoying what we're doing, having an album out. If there's a natural break then we'll maybe try out something different but at the time being we're happy doing what we're doing.

Considering the fact you've played at the Champions League final in Glasgow and various other unusual venues, as well as featuring on Family Guy, what has been the weirdest moment of your career?

When we played T in The Park just after coming back in 2001, we were on the second stage (which was a tent) that held about 10 or 11,000? I think there were about 12,000 there. There were young folk literally fighting to get into the tent, despite us being away for all that time. It was chaos, absolute chaos. Just coming back and doing that, it was one of the strangest but most moving gigs we've ever done.

How did the musical "Sunshine On Leith" come about? How involved were you?

It came about when we were asked about four years if we'd give permission for about 14 or 15 songs for a musical, but we never thought it would take off. Then we heard there was a half hour of material written for it, then we heard there were venues and theatres being booked all over Scotland for it, but we still didn't believe it would happen: then it sold out. They're even talking about making a film of it! We didn't think it was going to happen, we really didn't. It's a good musical, a good play with a strong plot (two Scottish soldiers coming back from Iraq) compared to some musicals. If we could choose a musical to create... it would probably be one based around Dexy's Midnight Runners.

How do the Proclaimers get ready for a gig and how do you wind down afterwards?

We don't really have a routine... just make sure everything's ready, Charlie and I generally sing a few songs backstage and then go for it. Winding down... well, I don't go to bed just after a gig, you go, you have a few drinks, sometimes more than a few drinks [laughter].

Do you find it tough to switch off from your professional relationship with your brother and merely have a fraternal relationship?

You can occasionally switch off from a professional relationship, in a family relationship, but we're on the road so much you're rarely not in a professional capacity. When you've got time off with families,you try to, but it just happens naturally!

The Proclaimers are very politically minded and this new album is a clear example of your social commentary and your thoughts. If you were PM for the day what would you do?

Well, we'd make Scotland independent first [laughter]. I'd get the troops out of Afghanistan then I'd introduce tighter regulations for the banks to make sure what happened last year will never happen again.

The first time we saw Dexy's Midnight Runners in 1980. They were playing a uni and we knew a student so we got in. We had no idea what they sounded like, we actually thought they were a ska band. It was their first tour and that show... It was incredible, simply breathtaking. It was a lifechanging show for me.

The first time we saw Dexy's Midnight Runners in 1980. They were playing a uni and we knew a student so we got in. We had no idea what they sounded like, we actually thought they were a ska band. It was their first tour and that show... It was incredible, simply breathtaking. It was a lifechanging show for me.

Gigging Northern Ireland says The Proclaimers will be stopping at the Spring and Airbrake, Belfast to play another Northern Irish show on the 17th August!

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